Chapter 5 - THE HOUSE CAMERA
By morning, Adrian had turned his home into an evidence scene.
Not officially.
Not yet.
But every instinct told him this was bigger than a cruel woman losing control.
His security specialist, Marcus Hale, arrived at eight.
Marcus had worked for Adrian’s company for twelve years and trusted almost no one.
Which was why Adrian trusted him.
“I want every camera checked,” Adrian said.
Marcus glanced toward Sophie, who was eating cereal at the kitchen island.
“Inside too?”
“All of them.”
“Even deleted footage?”
“Especially deleted footage.”
Marcus nodded.
Vanessa had insisted months ago that indoor cameras were “creepy.”
Adrian had agreed to disable most of them.
Most.
He had forgotten one.
An old hallway camera outside Emily’s former dressing room.
The same hallway where the closet was located.
Marcus worked for two hours.
Then he called Adrian into the office.
“You need to see this.”
On-screen, Vanessa appeared in the hallway.
Timestamp: eleven days earlier.
Sophie followed behind her.
Even without audio, Adrian could see they were arguing.
Sophie pointed toward Emily’s room.
Vanessa grabbed her arm.
Hard.
Sophie pulled away.
Vanessa opened the closet door.
Pushed her inside.
Closed it.
Locked it.
Adrian stopped breathing.
“How long?”
Marcus fast-forwarded.
Five minutes.
Ten.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Forty-three minutes later, Vanessa returned.
She opened the closet.
Sophie stumbled out crying.
Adrian pressed both palms against the desk.
Marcus looked at him.
“You okay?”
“No.”
“There’s more.”
The next clip showed Vanessa carrying a small jewelry box.
Emily’s jewelry box.
She entered the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later she walked out wearing the sapphire necklace.
Adrian’s eyes became cold.
“Copy everything.”
“Already did.”
“Three backups.”
“You’ll have five.”
Adrian nodded.
Marcus hesitated.
“There’s another issue.”
“What?”
“Someone accessed your home security archive from outside the property last night.”
“Vanessa?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Can you trace it?”
“I’m working on it.”
Adrian looked toward the screen again.
His daughter inside a locked closet.
Forty-three minutes.
Alone.
Then his phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
A text message.
You need to stop digging.
Adrian stared at it.
Another message appeared.
Think about Sophie.
Marcus saw the screen.
His expression changed immediately.
“That’s a threat.”
Adrian typed back.
Who is this?
The reply came almost instantly.
Someone trying to save you from making this worse.
Adrian showed Marcus.
“Trace it.”
Marcus took the phone.
Then the front doorbell rang.
Adrian checked the live feed.
A man in a gray suit stood outside holding an envelope.
“Mr. Mercer?”
“Yes.”
“I’m with Family Protective Services.”
Adrian’s face hardened.
The man continued.
“We received an emergency complaint regarding the safety of your daughter.”
Adrian felt sick.
“From who?”
May you like
The investigator looked down at his paperwork.
“Vanessa Cole.”
